As someone who practically lived in Night City back in 2023, I can tell you that getting chromed up at a ripperdoc was a rush. But looking back from 2026, that system feels a bit... basic, you know? Don't get me wrong, sliding that Sandevistan in and slowing time was a game-changer, and those mantis blades were a thing of beauty. It made you feel powerful, like a true edgerunner. But the whole process was missing a certain... soul. You'd pick your new toy from a menu, black out, and wake up with a new ability. It was slick, but it didn't feel like major body horror surgery.
Now, with everyone buzzing about Project Orion, I've been dreaming about how they could evolve this whole chrome experience. And let me tell you, the whispers from the new Boston studio have my hopes sky-high. If CDPR wants to make this sequel truly unforgettable, the ripperdoc experience needs a complete overhaul, from the first snip of the scalpel to how you see yourself in the mirror.
The number one thing on my wishlist? Let me see my upgrades. It's just weird, right? You can spend hours in the character creator giving V some gnarly surface-level cybernetics, but then you go and install a gorilla arms system that should make your forearms look like industrial pistons... and nothing changes. Your arms look exactly the same while you're casually punching through concrete. Talk about breaking immersion! In the next game, every implant that logically should leave a mark absolutely needs to. That should be the rule.
Imagine this:
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Slap in a Kiroshi Optics Mk. 5? A subtle, permanent glint of gold should appear in your iris.
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Install Synaptic Accelerators? Maybe faint, glowing circuitry traces become visible along your temples when you're stressed.
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Go full Projectile Launch System? A sleek, armored plate and a subtle vent should integrate into your forearm.
This visual feedback is everything. It’s not just cosmetic; it’s a story told on your body. Every piece of chrome becomes a badge, a memory of a job, a sacrifice for power. Walking through a crowded market, you could glance at another runner and instantly read their build by their mods. Are they a sneaky netrunner with data-port scars? Or a tank with reinforced dermal plating? That visual language would add a whole new layer to the world.
And speaking of stories, the actual surgery needs to stop being a fade-to-black affair. That first visit to good ol' Vik was magic. The tension, the sound of the tools, the revelation of Johnny on the relic... wow. But every visit after that? You lie down, the screen goes dark, and you're done. For a game all about the cost of technology on the human body, we skip the most visceral part!
Project Orion needs to make us feel the chrome going in. I'm not asking for a full-blown surgery sim, but give us something! How about 4 or 5 different, replayable surgery scenes?
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The Quick Street Job: A shaky, gritty first-person view in a back-alley ripperdoc's chair. Tools are dirty, the anesthetic is weak. You see blurry flashes of the scalpel and hear the awful sound of your own flesh being peeled back. Cheap, fast, and nasty.
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The High-End Clinic: A smooth, sterile third-person scene. A robotic arm performs laser-precise incisions. It's almost beautiful, in a cold, inhuman way. The focus is on the sleek tech, not the body.
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The Major Overhaul: For installing something huge like a full skeleton replacement. A longer, more harrowing sequence with multiple angles, warnings flashing on monitors, and your vitals spiking. You earn that power.
These scenes would make each upgrade feel significant, a moment you remember, not just a menu transaction. It would make you think twice before swapping out your old, trusted cyberware for the latest model. That connection, that history with your own body, is pure Cyberpunk.
Looking at the scope of what CDPR is attempting with their expanded studios, the jump could be as massive as it was from The Witcher 2 to The Witcher 3. We're not just talking about a visual tweak or a new cutscene. We're talking about integrating cyberware into the very fabric of the character and the narrative.
| 2077 System | My Dream for Project Orion | The Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Static Menu Selection | Dynamic, scene-based surgeries | Creates memorable, weighty moments for each upgrade. |
| Purely Functional Chrome | Visual changes reflecting implants | Deepens immersion and allows for visual storytelling. |
| Disconnected from Character Creator | Unified appearance & functionality | Your choices in the chair finally match your look in the mirror. |
Honestly, these changes might seem small on paper, but they'd get a ton of mileage. They'd bridge that last gap between playing a cybernetically enhanced mercenary and truly feeling like one. Every glance at your reflection, every time you flex a new implant, would remind you of the path you've chosen. The path of chrome, sacrifice, and power. The rumors say Project Orion is aiming to be more expansive than anything before it. If they want to nail that living, breathing cyberpunk fantasy, the heart of it—the ripperdoc's chair—is the perfect place to start. After all, in Night City, you are what you install... so let's finally see it.